The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

YES MASTER!

Our man cave.
The most surprising element of the original Money Pit floor plan is the first floor master suite. The entire northern end of the house consists of a master bedroom, bath, and den (shown here). Beyond the den, we made more than a few changes... read on!

Quite revolutionary

In 1917 few homes had attached master bathrooms. When we first toured the Money Pit it was obvious that we would have to gut the master bath (see left). And while our attached bath
was quite spacious for it's time,
it truly needed to be expanded.

2 + 1 = master bath!
It was tight (left) but fortunately we absorbed two closets and expanded the master bath. In addition we closed off a door from the den into the bath.
That enabled us to have a large soaking tub, walk-in shower, double vanity, and the throne.

A total square.
The master bedroom is an almost perfect cube. Proportions like that create a grand yet cozy bedchamber. We eliminated a closet (mirrored door left) and centered the bath entrance on the new space. Speaking of doors, have you noticed our doors are Mahogany, inlaid with ebony and birch? On the first floor all are eight foot in height. Through some miracle, these beauties survived the apartment years. Once restored, they will be jewels!

A closet case.
When we bought the house, the master bedroom was connected to the kitchen by a door (left). Beneficial when that wing was an apartment, it was no longer viable. We created a new closet behind that door by walling off an unused kitchen corner.

Flush with success!
We're staying as close to original as possible. While our new baths will look and feel like they're old, they will cost much more than $105! Fortunately for us, our contractor Heartland Construction is the best around. Bill Higgins loves old houses and we love Heartland!